Growing Closer 1 I've Been Watching You
by Marie S Zachary
Summary: Leland Stottlemyer spends a day with his youngest child Max. He realizes how much his son follows his example and how much his family means to him. A lesson he'll always value. First in a series of three father/child stories called growing closer.


The song is: I've Been Watching You

The singer is: Rodney Atkins

The deal is: I don't own Monk I don't own the song I don't own any of the characters you recognize unless you recognize them from a previous story. With all that said thank you and enjoy

**Driving through town just my boy and me**

**L**eland Stottlemyer had taken his son, Max for a father/son day. Max had a blast. Everything his dad did Max tried to do and Leland and the guys let him (as long as it was safe for him). It certainly took a lot longer for Max to do but it was worth it to see him laugh and smile.

_Oh to be that young, _Leland thought, _where everything is a game _

**With a happy meal in his booster seat**

"Daddy can we stop at McDonalds," Max asked, "I wanna play"

Leland smiled and told his friend, "carry on without me. I'm going to play at McDonalds with my son"

"What if we need you," Monk asked

"Monk, you know where to reach me if you need me. You don't need me holding your hand"

He and Max played in the McDonald's playroom for an hour and ½ and then they brought a happy meal

**Knowing that he couldn't have the toy **

Max started to take out the toy that came with the happy meal

"Food first," Leland reminded him

**Till his nuggets were gone**

"Daddy I finished my nuggets. Can I play with my toy now?"

"Sure"

**A green traffic light turned straight to red**

Without warning a green traffic light turned straight to red.

**I hit my brakes and mumbled under my breath**

Leland hit his brakes hard needing to stop.

"_Fuck," _he muttered

**His fries went a flying and his orange drink covered his lap**

_It's okay buddy_, Leland thought to himself, _we can get a new one_

**Well then my four year old said a four letter word**

"SHIT," Max exclaimed

**That started with "s" and I was concerned**

Leland was surprised. He never heard his son use a bad word before. If Jarred had said it, it wouldn't have been a surprise. Jarred had been surly and frustrated ever since the oldest Stottlemyer child was kidnapped. Jennifer had been Jared's best friend. But Max was still full of hope.

**So I said, "son now where'd you learn to talk like that"**

"Max honey were did you hear that word"

**He said, "I've been watching you dad ain't that cool"**

"I hear it from you daddy," Max said, "when you told that guy to shut the fuck up and that he's a shit example of a human being"

"**I'm you're buckaroo, I wanna be like you"**

At that point Leland realized he needed to be careful about how he spoke around his son.

**And eat all my food and grow as tall as you are**

"You're my hero daddy," Max told his father

If Leland wasn't driving he would have hugged his son but as he was driving it was all he could do not to cry.

**We got cowboy boots and wear camo pants**

"Look daddy," Max said, "we're dressed alike."

Leland chuckled

"Yes we are," he said

**Yeah we're just alike hey aren't we dad**

"We're just alike," Leland heard his son say, "aren't we?"

"Yes son," Leland said, "we are"

**I wanna do everything you do**

Leland thought about the situation for a long while. His son was copying him. He could see it earlier that day clearly but to him it was just cute until now. Earlier that day Leland and his team had arrested a criminal and Leland had started to put the cuffs on when Max said, "daddy lemme do it"

Leland laughed and allowed his son to do it whist he was holding the guys hands down and another person officer was reading the guy his rights. Afterwards he knelt down, hugged the boy and said, "excellent job son" after high-fiving him.

But he realized now that it was more then cute. It was a huge responsibility of Leland's part. His son could grow up to be anything. But the character of his son would be greatly influenced by his example. If he curses for instance Max will think its okay to curse. If he is aggressive, Max will think its okay to be aggressive. If he gets mad too easily (or for any reason) Max will think there is no point in communication. He had to watch himself in front of Max and **not **in front of Max.

**So I've been watching you**

Leland was about to say, "don't tell mommy we went to McDonalds" but he didn't want to teach his son to lie.

**We got back home and I went to the barn**

"Daddy," Max said when they got home, "can I go put up posters of Jennifer"

"Sure," Leland said with a smile, "just don't go beyond the park"

"O-tay"

Leland went out into the garden.

**I bowed my head and I prayed real hard**

He bowed his head and said a prayer to the Father in Heaven.

**Said, "Father please help me help my stupid self"**

_"Blessed maker of heaven and Earth please help me be as good a father to Max and Jarred as you are to me. Please help me to control my temper and agitation and to learn be more positive then I am. Let me love Karen more tomorrow then I do today and more then today then I did yesterday. Also… if you can return Jennifer to our family I would be ever so grateful_

**Then this side of bedtime later that night**

"Bedtime Max," Leland called

"Daddy I'm not tired"

"How about this," Leland offered, "you go to bed now and tomorrow we'll go to the carnival together just the two of us and put up the posters together"

**Turning on my son's Scooby Doo nightlight **

After reading Max a story and turning on his nightlight Leland went to leave after kissing him goodnight.

**He crawled out of bed and he got down on his knees**

Before he got out of the room he saw his son getting out of bed. He watched as Max got down on his knees.

**He closed his little eyes folded his little hands**

He saw Max close his eyes and fold his hands together.

**And talked to the heavenly abba like he was talking to a friend**

"Thank you for giving me my mommy and my daddy and thank you for giving me my brother and my sister. If you could give her back to me and my family I would appreciate it. Also if you could give daddy's friend ((Monk)) back what made him smile ((Trudy Max doesn't really understand the concept of death yet)) I'd appreciate that too. Amein"

**And I said son, now where'd you learn to pray like that**

"Max that was a great prayer," Leland said sitting down next to his son on the bedside, "where did you learn to pray like that?"

**He said, "I've been watching you dad ain't that cool"**

"I heard you praying daddy," Max explained, "that's how I knew how to pray"

"**I'm you're buckaroo, I wanna be like you"**

"Max," Leland said, "you know son… I am so proud to be your daddy. I love you so much you will never understand till you're a daddy but I'm so proud to be yours. I love you"

**And eat all my food and grow as tall as you are**

"But Jennifer was your first daddy"

"Yeah she was… and I love her because she's her and I love Jarred because he's Jarred and I love you because you're you.

**We like fixing things and holding mama's hand**

"And," Max said, "I love you a-cause you're my best friend and my daddy"

**Yeah we're just alike hey aren't we dad**

There was only two times before that Leland had openly cried and neither of those times was from happiness. This time he was crying from happiness.

**I wanna do everything you do**

"I feel the same way about you Max"

**So I've been watching you**

Leland realized how blessed he was to have his family… and that's something you should never take advantage of. He easily forgot it months back but this was the most wonderful reminder he could possibly have.

**With tears in my eyes I wrapped him in a hug**

Leland through his tears and his smiles pull his son into his arms and hugged him tenderly

**Said, "my little bear is growing up"**

"You're growing up so beautifully," he told him

**He said, "but when I'm big I'll still know what to do"**

"I'm big but I'm little," Max laughed, "when I'm big I'll know what to do. It'll come naturally to me like it does to you"

**Cause I've been watching you dad ain't that cool**

"It doesn't always come naturally to me. Not all the time"

**I'm your buckaroo I wanna be like you**

"One day I'm gonna be just like you,"

**And eat all my food and grow as tall as you are**

"You already are," Leland said, "and so much better then me I daresay"

**By then I'll be as strong as superman **

"I'm gonna be-ya hero like you are," Max added

**We'll be just alike hey won't we dad**

"Max," Leland said, "you're already my hero"

**When I can do everything you do**

Max fell asleep dreaming of tomorrow.

**Cause I've been watching you**

"Night buddy," Leland whispered to his son kissing him on the forehead, "I love you"


End file.
